Revelation 18:12
12 The merchandise [gomos] of gold, [chrusos] and [kai] silver, [arguros] and [kai] precious [timios] stones, [lithos] and [kai] of pearls, [margarites] and [kai] fine linen, [bussos] and [kai] purple, [porphura] and [kai] silk, [serikos] and [kai] scarlet, [kokkinos] and [kai] all [pas] thyine [thuinos] wood, [xulon] and [kai] all manner [pas] vessels [skeuos] of ivory, [elephantinos] and [kai] all manner [pas] vessels [skeuos] of [ek] most precious [timios] wood, [xulon] and [kai] of brass, [chalkos] and [kai] iron, [sideros] and [kai] marble, [marmaros] KJV-Interlinear
12 cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, NASB
These next two verses identify how life was prior to, during, and subsequent to, the rule of the anti-christ.
Listing many categories of products (twenty eight of them), both natural and manufactured, this is a good indicator of what the world commerce was like, or rather, what the world commerce will be like in that future time.
All of these products of basic need and luxury items indicate that even during the beginning of the Tribulation, life will be very good, and very prosperous for many folks.
Note the obvious, that this commerce will not appear out of thin air, but will already be in place when the Rapture occurs. Just as the commerce of the world is today, so it will continue until the Rapture, and into the Tribulation. That is probably just common sense.
However, during the initial years of the Tribulation, things will get worse fast, as we have already studied. And it will be near the end that daily life in luxury and basic needs products, will cease to exist. That principle will be made clear in verse 14.
Even during the hard times of the Tribulation, there will still be luxury products, and a demand for them.
This indicates the error in priorities of a world that is under intense judgment and hardship. Remember that during the first half of the Tribulation, one-fourth of the world will die from disease, crime, hunger and so forth. That the world will endure famine and intense inflation, and still, a greater portion of the population will desire things, rather than a spiritual relationship with God.
Commerce will not only cease from lack of production, but also from a lack of consumers. People who are either dead or broke, cannot buy much of anything.
Many of the things listed in this verse, like gold and jewelry, of ivory, of marble and so forth, require time, design, and craftsmanship in order to create the products of high value. Such things are not created unless there is a consumer market to buy them. So this also indicates that the innovation process, design process, and craftsmanship process of higher end items will cease.
Even during world wars and regional conflicts of past history, there has never been a time when an entire economy has collapsed entirely. But during the Tribulation, the entire worlds economic system will cease, completely. That is dramatic, and especially for a population that continues to reject God, leaving it with no solution.
Jesus Christ controls history. Jesus Christ controls economies. As goes mans attitude toward Christ, so goes his life. This applies on the world scale, and it also applies on the individual scale.
Your life depends on your attitude toward Christ, doctrine and the state of your spiritual life. Your life has nothing to do with your individual personal attributes or lack of them.
God can carry you through life regardless of your abilities. Gods success does not depend on the abilities of man. Do not ever presume that you are self made. You are not. Gods grace is more a part of your daily life than you will probably ever know.
Look around you and you can see examples of every possible circumstance for humanity, and yet God carries everyone through life.
But when the Tribulation begins, and when God backs away from this support system, then life will quickly fall apart on a worldwide massive scale.
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